Systems and Integrative Physiology Commons^™

Ultrasound-Derived Liver Composition And Metabolic Flexibility Under Exercise Stress, Rhodes Van Houten

All Master's Theses

Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD) is characterized by abnormal liver fat accumulation in conjunction with metabolic syndromes. MAFLD affects 33% of individuals worldwide, though little is known about how increased liver fat impacts physiological responses to exercise. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between liver composition and metabolic flexibility during a graded exercise test.  Body composition was analyzed via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Liver ultrasound was evaluated for echogenicity, where elevated mean gray volume (MGV) indicates abnormal liver tissue. Rates of fat (FATox) and carbohydrate (CHOox) oxidation (g/min), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), and blood lactate concentrations ([LA^-], …

An Exploratory Analysis Of The Role Of Sex In Load Carriage, Rachel E. Perez, Dustin R. Slivka, Brent C. Ruby

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Axially loaded weight may impose a metabolic demand equivalent to that of fat mass (FM) during load carriage. Males (M) typically have a lower body fat percentage than females (F), resulting in metabolic demand differences during load carriage that may be mitigated by accounting for FM in pack loads. PURPOSE: To determine whether normalizing pack load to FM equalizes metabolic cost across sexes during load carriage. METHODS: Twenty-eight participants (14M, 23 ± 5 y, 1.81 ± 0.07 m, 78.7 ± 10.0 kg, 12.7 ± 5.4% body fat, VO₂peak 4.18 ± 0.54 L·min^-1; 14F, 22 ± 4 …

Linking Spinal Cord Circuits With Upper Limb Sensorimotor Control In Adults With Cerebral Palsy, Saihari Dukkipati

Theses & Dissertations

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common neurological disorder originating in childhood, but most of the people living with CP are currently adults. While people with CP continue to get older, the amount of research focused on adults has been rather limited. The early childhood insults leading to CP are thought to originate in the brain, but the effects on the entire neuromuscular system across the lifespan have only recently started to be explored. Of note, recent neuroimaging evidence suggests that the cervical spinal cord structure is atypical in adults with CP. However, it is largely unclear how the neurophysiological …

Power Amplification Strategies Across Animals, Rayhan Asif

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Animals use muscles for movement, but some have evolved mechanisms to exceed maximum power used in a motion known as power amplification. In this literature review, I analyzed and compared the evolution of structures capable of power amplification between species. Structures capable of power amplification were broken down into the basic components of the engine, amplifier, and tool. The species analyzed were found to possess necessary structures for power amplification which were relatively similar to each other in morphology, but varied greatly in function. The ease with which these structures evolved was evaluated based on the amount of divergence which …

The Role Of Spine In Causing Lameness In Horses, Raja Zabeeh Ullah Khan

International Programs

Lameness is one of the most important problems of horses. It influences all communities who keep horses. Recent studies have shown the significance of spinal muscles and vertebrae in inducing lameness in horses. The field has not been explored much and requires application of biomechanics to define the role of spine in inducing lameness in horses. This presentation highlights the importance of spine in inducing lameness in horses by relating the solution with biomechanics.

Metabolic And Cardiovascular Marker Alterations During Critical Training In Wildland Firefighters, Shae Gurney

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Introduction: Wildland firefighters (WLFFs) are confronted with numerous physical and mental stressors. Pre-fire season includes an intense 2-week critical training (CT) period; a preparatory phase of multiple activities that can result in injury, illness, and rhabdomyolysis. The purpose of this study was to identify physiologic changes in metabolic, inflammatory, and oxidative stress biomarkers during 2 weeks of CT in WLFFs.

Methods: Eighteen male (29.4 ± 1.1 yr, 182.1 ± 1.6 cm) and three female (26.7  2.6 yr, 169.5  4.2 cm) participants were recruited from a Type I interagency hotshot crew and monitored over their 2-week CT. Fitness was …

Muscle Soreness And Damage During Wildland Firefighter Critical Training, Katherine Sue Christison

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Introduction: Wildland firefighters (WLFF) undergo a critical training (CT) period immediately before the firefighting season. The intensity of CT exercise could lead to muscle damage, as previously reported cases of rhabdomyolysis in WLFFs have been documented. This study established the effects of activities performed during a two-week CT period on acute markers of muscle damage in WLFFs.

Methods: 18 male and 3 female Type I Interagency Hotshot WLFFs were studied during a 14-day critical training period. Upper- (US) and lower-body (LS) muscle soreness and daily body weight (BW) scales were collected. Venous blood was collected on Days 1, 4, 8, …

Acute Physiological Responses To Arm-Cranking With Blood Flow Restriction, Benjamin Cockfield

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Physiological responses to aerobic blood flow restriction exercise (BFR) are well documented for lower-body exercise but not upper-body exercise. I evaluated cardiorespiratory (heart rate, VO2, RER, ventilation), metabolic (tissue saturation, deoxyhemoglobin concentrations), and perceptual (effort, pain) responses to arm cranking with BFR at varying arterial occlusion pressures (AOP). Ten adults performed 4 intermittent arm cranking protocols (6x2-min, 1-min recovery): 1) low load (LL) – 40%VO2peak and 0% AOP; high load (HL) – 80%VO2peak and 0% AOP; (BFR50) – 40%VO2peak with 50% AOP; (BFR70) – 40%VO2peak with 70% AOP. Heart rate, RER, and ventilation, were higher with BFR compared to LL …

Critical Embodied Praxis For Social Justice And Peace Educators: A Story Of Personal Transformation Through Analysis Of My Jewish And Settler Identities, Cara Michelle Silverberg

Capstone Collection

In this paper, I examine definitions of and relationships between violence, oppression, peace, liberation, and embodiment in the context of critical pedagogy in order to construct a theory of critical embodied praxis for social justice and peace educators. Considering the body to be a tangible vessel through which narratives and mechanisms of violence are expressed and maintained, I explore the potential of the body to be a vessel through which liberatory narratives may be generated and shared. After constructing a theory of critical embodied praxis, I illustrate this framework in action through a personal narrative that explores the intersections …

Thermoregulatory Dysfunction In Multiple Sclerosis, Dustin R. Allen

Applied Physiology and Wellness Theses and Dissertations

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive neurological disease of the central nervous system (CNS) affecting an estimated 2.3 million people worldwide. Marked by lesions in the brain and spinal cord, MS leads to conduction abnormalities in the CNS. Evidence suggests ~60% of individuals with MS experience temporary worsening of their symptoms upon exposure to heat. Adding complexity, observational evidence suggests these individuals exhibit reduced thermoregulatory responses in upon increases in core temperature. Consequently, these individuals face a vicious cycle of heat sensitivity and thermoregulatory dysfunction, substantially impacting their quality of life. With this in mind, our lab is dedicated to …

Cancer Cachexia: Metabolic Changes That Occur In Oxidative Capacity And Carbohydrate And Lipid Metabolism Of The Liver, Sarah Ramey

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

BACKGROUND: Cancer cachexia is defined as cancer-associated muscle wasting, and is a cancer side effect that dramatically affects cancer prognosis, is thought to be at least partially mediated by increased energy expenditure, and is directly responsible for the death of 20-40% of all cancer patients. Although the liver is known to be a predominant regulator of whole body metabolism, there is little known about its relationship to the development of cancer cachexia. PURPOSE: The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate alterations in liver metabolism by examining measures of hepatic glycogen storage, oxidative phenotype and lipid content throughout the …

Thermoregulatory Adaptations Following Sprint Interval Training, Jonathan E. Wingo, Charlie P. Katica, Svetlana Nepocatych, Andrew T. Del Pozzi, Greg A. Ryan

Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments

Traditional endurance training typically involves weeks of long-duration (60–90 min) exercise performed at a moderate to vigorous intensity. An alternative paradigm, sprint interval training, is characterized by multiple bouts of short-duration, high-intensity exercise. Similar fitness benefits from the two paradigms have been demonstrated, but whether sprint interval training—like traditional endurance training—induces heat acclimation remains unclear.

Purpose

To test the hypothesis that sprint interval training performed over six sessions results in measureable thermoregulatory and cardiovascular adaptations consistent with heat acclimation.

Methods

Seven untrained men [mean ± SD, 13 ± 5% body fat, 22 ± 3 y, 3.1 ± 0.3 L/min peak …

Lifestyle Contributors To Cardiovascular Disease Risk, Adam J. Berrones

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Aortic stiffness is an independent risk factor that has prognostic value regarding future cardiovascular disease (CVD) events such as myocardial infarction, strokes, and heart failure. Although death rates due to coronary heart disease have declined in recent years, the leading global killer remains CVD and prevalence is still high. Understanding lifestyle contributors associated with aortic stiffness would provide the public with insight into targeting key health-related behaviors.

The purpose of this observational study was to examine the association of physical activity, physical function, and dietary quality as independent factors contributing to aortic stiffness in apparently healthy middle aged men. Fifty-two …

Outline Plan For A Student-Involved Fitness Assessment Program At Western Michigan University, Joanna Gangwisch

Honors Theses

This research was aimed at developing a fitness assessment program that would provide undergraduate exercise science students at Western Michigan University (WMU) with hands on experience that would successfully prepare them for their internships and future careers as well as benefiting the campus community at large. Data for this research was obtained by examining the student recreation center websites and sending out an email/phone questionnaire to WMU’s 10 peer institutions. Direct comparisons were made and evaluated. On the basis of the results of this research, it can be concluded that WMU’s exercise science department and student recreation center together could …

A Movement Tool Kit For The Divergent And Convergent Cps Guidelines: Instruction Cards And Activity Floor Mats, Adela Vangelisti

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

A Movement Tool Kit for the Divergent and Convergent CPS Guidelines:

Instruction Cards and Activity Floor Mats

Movement is as natural to humans as breathing is, and, yet, passivity starts early in schools. We are taught to sit still and in silence for long periods of time. By the time we reach adulthood and enter the workforce, we have almost forgotten our sense of embodiment. This lack of movement is counter-productive, not only to learning but to the development of creativity as well. For this project, I designed a tool to recapture the joy and playfulness of movement. Furthermore, the …

Digital And Clinical Refractometers Are Valid Instruments For The Measure Of Hydration Status, A. J. Niemann, S. W. Yeargin, L. E. Eberman, H. M. Mata, H. A. Adams, D. J. Dziedzicki

Symposium 2012

Although some instruments have been validated for clinical measure of hydration status, new and currently invalid instruments are available for purchase and clinical use. Athletic trainers commonly use these instruments to assess hydration status for weight checks and body mass loss charts due to their ease of use. However, the validity of these popular instruments has not yet been established.

A Motor And A Brake: Two Leg Extensor Muscles Acting At The Same Joint Manage Energy Differently In A Running Insect, Anna N. Ahn, Robert J. Full

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

The individual muscles of a multiple muscle group at a given joint are often assumed to function synergistically to share the load during locomotion. We examined two leg extensors of a running cockroach to test the hypothesis that leg muscles within an anatomical muscle group necessarily manage (i.e. produce, store, transmit or absorb) energy similarly during running. Using electromyographic and video motion-analysis techniques, we determined that muscles 177c and 179 are both active during the first half of the stance period during muscle shortening. Using the in vivo strain and stimulation patterns determined during running, we measured muscle power output. …